7 foreigners arrested in central Pattaya gambling raid

Six Australians and a New Zealander were arrested when police raided yet another central Pattaya bar allegedly masquerading as an off-track-betting parlor for down-under horse racing.

Police hit the Ned Kelly Bar operating at Valentine’s Guest House on Soi Lengkee May 10 after using an undercover foreign informant to place bets on races being shown on a large-screen television.

Six Australians and a New Zealander have been arrested for off-track-betting on Australian horse races.

Among those arrested was Kiwi Philip Smith, 59, who allegedly operated the gambling operation. The Thai owner of the bar escaped.

Police said Smith confessed he has been operating an illegal online horse racing gambling shop for a long time. Friends would come to the bar to watch live horse races from Australia broadcast over the Internet. He would accept bets from interested customers and pay according to the website rate while receiving a commission.

The raid came eight months after Pattaya police and Department of Special Investigations officers stormed The Member Lounge on Soi Buakaow, arresting 12 Aussies and four Britons on charges of betting on Aussie horse races.